1. How did the band get started? How did you meet
and how long have you been together?
Tomonori Miyamoto:
I started VORTEX in 1994. All of first members belonged to a rock
club in the institute. I wanted to play music like DEATH's "Human"
or CYNIC's "Focus" in those days. But my friends said that
our music was similar to ATHEIST. After many line-up changes, we formed
the present line-up on July 2000.
2. How would you describe
your music?
Tomonori Miyamoto: I think our music
should be called progressive death metal. Because we are mostly influenced
by progressive rock and death metal. My friend of a physicist said
that VORTEX is a scwarzchild radius of entertainment. I like it, because
even light cannot escape from the inside of schwarzchild radius of
a black hole.
3. What are your biggest influences?
Tomonori Miyamoto: King Crimson, Suffocation, Death (Human),
Cynic and Meshuggah.
4. What influence do you think your
bands has in music and metal today?
Tomonori Miyamoto:
I think our music at first appeals to the persons who are interested
in playing the instruments. In our songs, there are death voices but
there are much more musical elements. VORTEX has a lot of aspects
of music and each aspect will appeal to the persons who reacts to
it. I think the blast beats will appeal to fans of tornado drumming,
the guitar solos will appeal to fans of captivating guitar work, the
strange rhythm will appeal to fans of progressive rock, the complex
chord progression will appeal to fans of modern jazz, the death voices
will appeal to fans of brutal death metal, and the bass slapping will
appeal to fans of funk rock.
5. What made you want to
be in the band? And if you weren't in the band what would you be doing
now?
Tomonori Miyamoto: I was a crazy fan of
metal. It was very natural that I started to play the guitar. I want
to express the extreme agonies and despair of human beings. I think
many bands describe the extreme anger but I want to form the silent
empty world. If I was not in the band, I'm now a doctor of engineering
and spend vacant days.
6. Are any band members in side
projects? If so what are they, and explain a little about them.
Tomonori Miyamoto: No one is in side project.
7. How would you feel if a band took their sound from yours and
became very well known?
Tomonori Miyamoto: I think
only we can make our sound. But if it will be done....hmmmm. I don't
know what I should say because I can't speak English like a native
speaker and I can't use the word "FUCK" well. Should I say
"FUCK???"
8. What current bands do you like
or respect?
Tomonori Miyamoto: Dying Fetus and
Skinless.
9. How many demos/albums do you have? Tell me
about them!!
Tomonori Miyamoto: Okay, Our first
demo is "TIME, LIFE AND DESPAIR" in 1995. This demo includes
5 thrash materials. In those days, fans said that VORTEX was like
ATHEIST. The 2nd demo "19960929DEMO" was recorded in 1996.
This demo includes 2 songs and one of them is an archetype of "BURNT
WITH THOUGHTS". "BURNT" is the 2nd song of our album
"COLOURS OUT FROM THE EMPTINESS". The 3rd demo "MIND"
was released all around Japan. This demo includes 3 progressive death
metal materials and 2 live takes. This demo received a high evaluation
from Japanese death metal listeners. The 4th demo "STIGMA"
includes only "STIGMA". This song is the 1st song of our
album "COLOURS..." We distributed this demo in front of
the club of CRYPTOPSY's Japanese gig in 1999. 300 demo tapes were
distributed. And now we release our first album "COLOURS OUT
FROM THE EMPTINESS" on August 28th 2001 from PSYCHIC SCREAM ENTERTAINMENT.
This album includes 8 songs. We hope you will enjoy it.
10.
What demo/album do you like the best?
Tomonori Miyamoto:
Of course, "COLOURS OUT FROM THE EMPTINESS." In this
album, all of our music until 2000 is condensed.
11. What
is the meaning behind the songs?
Tomonori Miyamoto:
STIGMA is a song about the artist. He is distressed about his
creation and he loose himself. BURNT WITH THOUGHTS is a song about
the tragic friendship. In the extreme plane, love/hate has no meaning.
DUALITY describes parallel universes. It means that the person is
not who used to be. FLUX is a little instructive. This song is influenced
by cyber punk sci-fi especially William Gibson. "He" in
this song may mean "Wintermute" in Neuromancer.
12. What are the bands favorite songs?
Tomonori
Miyamoto: STIGMA, BURNT WITH THOUGHTS, DUALITY and FLUX.
13. What does the future hold for the band?
Tomonori
Miyamoto: We want to join the Metal festival in America or Europe.
If everything goes well, we will release the 2nd album on 2002.
14. If you could play with any band who would it be and why?
Tomonori Miyamoto: Hmm...I have no idea about bands. I
want to play with Paul Masvidal (ex. CYNIC). He is a my ideal guitarist.
15. Who writes the majority of the music?
Tomonori
Miyamoto: Usually I (Tom Miyamoto) compose the base songs and
all the members arrange.
16. Who has been the favorite
band you've played with and why?
Tomonori Miyamoto:
DEFILED. Because they are great brutal death metal band and their
attitude is really honorable. They have very unique ideas.
17. Where did you get the band name from?
Tomonori
Miyamoto: I think the word VORTEX can be connected with stagnant
or decadence of emotional stream. This word is suited for our band's
name. The mind is the thing to bend within.
18. Describe
what the band is like live?
Tomonori Miyamoto: Crazy.
We don't stop moving even a moment.
19. If you are gonna
do any kind of video what would be in it?
Tomonori
Miyamoto: We are now planning to make a VORTEX video. It will
might have a lot of our shows and playing.
20. Are there
any touring plans made; if so tell me about them?
Tomonori Miyamoto: We will be touring from October to December
in Japan. We are now planning many ideas. Of course we should play
in USA or Europe and we want but the plans are uncertain now. Please
check our site!! (http://members.tripod.co.jp/vortex_/)
21. Where do you think the band will be 20 years from now?
Tomonori Miyamoto: I hope that we will be still
evolving our music. |
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